


Sentry

by yeaka



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Centaurs, Ficlet, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-09
Updated: 2019-03-09
Packaged: 2019-11-14 15:49:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18055424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yeaka/pseuds/yeaka
Summary: Ignis finds a monsterish-thing near his prince’s camp.





	Sentry

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy XV or any of its contents, and I’m not making any money off this.

Realistically, Noctis can take care of himself—he’s proven that time and time again since leaving the capitol, settling most of Ignis’ fears. He used to worry that Noctis would sleep or slack during his training, and the glaives reporting his progress were merely afraid to rat out the prince. But it seems he absorbed enough to hold his own out in the world, even the post-war one they live in, where MTs rain like water. He still should have his own personal Shield, but it’s too late to choose one now—all the Crownsguard left are busy keeping what little remains of Lucis alive. 

At least there’s Prompto. The two of them are huddled up around the campfire when Ignis leaves them, chatting over their phones and the warm cup noodles Ignis has heated up for dinner. It’s hardly the nutritional feast he’d like to serve his prince, but supplies are often tight on the road, and there’s only so much he can do when their ingredients run low. He keeps his own cup in his hands as he spirals out around their campsite—there’s no time to sit and enjoy a proper meal. He prefers to make sure the area’s secured—or as secure as can be expected in the wild—before he lets Noctis sleep. He and Prompto will take turns staying awake, of course, but that won’t be enough if the Empire have their own nesting ground nearby. 

It’s already dark. The area is mostly wooded, veiled and chilly, the underbrush difficult to creep through without making noise. He can hear the steady buzz of insects and scurrying small animals but nothing disturbing yet. He picks at his noodles while he walks, fully ready to toss it aside and summon knives if need be. When he hears a heavy thud, like a behemoth plodding about or a garula lying down, he instantly tenses. He turns his head towards the sound and moves to it, careful to stay within the shadows of the trees. 

It isn’t long before he spots the culprit—a large silhouette nestled in a clearing. It’s too dark to make out more without getting closer, _too _close; he has to duck behind a thick trunk only a few meters away to really see what he’s found. It’s obviously a monster, one they’ve yet to encounter, with large, muscular hindquarters like a particularly beefy anak. Except it’s more of a centaur, because the upper body is that of a _man_ , one that looks entirely too human. Its handsome face looks right out of a Lucian magazine, its chiseled jaw and dark stubble the sort of thing most men would die for. Its torso is buff beyond belief, yet still all sun-kissed skin without fur or scales. A tribal tattoo blankets its arms and shoulders, though Ignis isn’t close enough to determine the pattern. The beast is sitting down, its four hooves folded beneath it, its arms holding the chard remains of what might be a cockatrice. It eats the raw meat the same way Noctis would eat chicken. If Ignis had only glimpsed it from the waist up, he might have thought this a stray, albeit naked, glaive. __

__In any other circumstance, Ignis would have his weapon out. He can’t risk allowing daemons near his precious prince, but that doesn’t mean he’d readily kill a fellow citizen, and this creatures _looks_ so very _normal_. Ignis is quite aware that looks can be deceiving. But a human face could mean a human brain, and he doesn’t want to mindlessly slay something sentient. He tells himself that’s the only reason for his hesitance, and not the fact that the beast is disturbingly _beautiful_ —easily the best piece of eye candy Ignis has seen in some time. _ _

__Not that Ignis is into daemons. He’d never fornicate with a monster. He’s not that far-gone. It’s just that the more he looks, the more he realizes he’s actually staring, eyeing up the broad expanse of flawless muscle tone and thick, rippling biceps connected to such big, powerful fingers—_ _

__The beast’s head jerks up. Ignis’ breath hitches, his grip tightening around his cup noodles. The beast sniffs the air, and Ignis curses himself for putting on cologne. There’s no reason to keep that in his morning routine—it’s not like he’ll meet any prospects out on the road. But the force of habit stuck, and it must be giving him away, because the creature slowly rises up onto all four legs. That puts it at the same height as Ignis, though it looks far more imposing. And not so much an it as a _he_ , most likely. When Ignis lets his eyes stray down through the darkness, he can just barely make out the enormous shaft that hangs between the creature’s legs. He can feel his cheeks heating but doesn’t look away. _ _

__The centaur takes one step towards Ignis’ hiding place. Ignis removes one hand from the warmth of his cup noodles and summons a simple dagger. Frowning, the beast before him drawls in a thick, deep voice, “Come on out—I can smell you.” The frown twitches into a lopsided grin, giving the distinct impression that he approves of that smell. Ignis considers his options._ _

__He understood the words. The beast speaks his language. That rules out mindless daemon. Still fully ready to attack if needed, Ignis carefully steps out from his hiding spot._ _

__The man’s eyes immediately pierce into him. With one long, obvious look, the creature takes in Ignis’ whole body, eyeing him from head to toe but lingering along his breast, hips, then crotch. Finally, the centaur eyes his face. Ignis knows he’s blushing deeper and disapproves but can’t seem to help it. He’s not normally one to flush so quickly, but this creature has quite the chest on it, and now Ignis has a perfect view of every line and bulge. He doesn’t know what to say. The centaur starts first, rumbling out, “The name’s Gladiolus. Yours?”_ _

__A fake name would probably be wise, but Ignis blurts out too quickly, “Ignis.” He knows this Gladiolus is bulldozing through his defenses, which is completely unacceptable. He tells himself it’s just been too long. He’s still relatively young, and his hormones are betraying him. The next time they pass a small town, he’ll have to see if he can get them private rooms in a motel and work off some steam._ _

__Gladiolus makes it worse by wandering closer, obviously unperturbed by the dagger in Ignis’ hand. He tilts his head to take in a few of Ignis’ other angles, grunting through a smirk, “But you... you can call me Gladio.” Ignis nods and doesn’t offer any nickname back. When Gladiolus’ dark eyes return to Ignis’ face, he asks, “So, what’re you doing in my territory, _Ignis_?” He purrs out the last word, Ignis’ name, which snakes an involuntary shiver through Ignis’ body. He tries to ignore it. _ _

__He can’t give away Noctis’ location. He answers vaguely, “I was just looking for a place to setup a camp for the night.”_ _

__“Oh, really?” Gladiolus muses, crossing his mammoth arms over his chest. “And you were planning to do that for free? Hate to burst your bubble, but if you wanna use my land, you’re gonna have to pay for it.”_ _

__Ignis’ brow knits together. Gladiolus quirks a brow as though to ask after Ignis’ evident confusion, so Ignis shares: “I’ve never met a monster that had any use for money before.”_ _

__Gladiolus’ grin grows wide and toothy. Another step, and he’s within arm’s reach. His eyes do another sweep of Ignis’ body, which _excites_ Ignis far more than it should. When Gladiolus’ tongue pokes out to trace along his bow lips, Ignis’ mind spirals into overdrive, and he entertains the shameful, filthy fantasy of paying for Noctis’ safety with his own body. Gladiolus looks like he’d love to get his hands on it, and Ignis is on the brink of offering it. It isn’t until Gladiolus’ eyes meet his, burning bright and wild, that Ignis breathes, “Alright.”_ _

__Gladiolus mutters, “Thanks, Iggy.” The quick nickname has Ignis’ stomach flipping. Then Gladiolus reaches out and gingerly plucks the cup noodles out of Ignis’ hand._ _

__Ignoring the chopsticks, Gladiolus lifts it up to start slurping the noodles right out of the broth. He turns as he eats, wandering back to where he started, pawing the grass a few times before settling back down. As Ignis just stands there, blinking dazedly, Gladiolus finishes up his first few gulps and growls, “You’ll be safe here tonight, Ignis. But if you wanna stay again tomorrow, you’ll have to feed a different appetite.” He follows it up with a wink. Ignis might be trembling._ _

__Ignis has never been so flustered in his entire life. A part of him screams to get down on his knees and pay for the whole week in one session._ _

__But he has a prince to serve. So he awkwardly turns around and marches back towards his friends, wondering what in the world he’ll report to them along the way._ _


End file.
